World Patient Safety Day, celebrated annually on September 17th, serves as a critical reminder of the importance of protecting patients across all aspects of healthcare. This year, as we reflect on ways to enhance safety, data privacy and accuracy stand out as crucial pillars of patient care. One of the most powerful tools for ensuring these elements is data anonymisation in healthcare. 

With the growing amount of patient data generated daily, automating medical data anonymisation is no longer just an option—it’s a necessity. By leveraging automation, PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems) managers can ensure patient data remains secure while significantly reducing the risk of human error. PRIX from Rosenfield Health is paving the way for automated anonymisation for patient safety, bringing new levels of accuracy, security, and efficiency to healthcare data management. 

The Need for Data Anonymisation in Healthcare 

Patient data is the lifeblood of modern healthcare. From diagnosis to treatment and research, medical data enables healthcare professionals to deliver personalised care. However, with this wealth of data comes an increased responsibility to protect patient privacy. Failure to properly anonymise patient data can lead to severe consequences, including breaches of confidentiality, identity theft, and regulatory penalties. For healthcare providers, ensuring patient confidentiality is not only a legal requirement but a moral obligation to protect those they serve. 

Data anonymisation technologies in healthcare ensure that sensitive patient information is stripped of identifying details, making it impossible to trace data back to a specific individual. But, in a complex environment like healthcare, where vast amounts of data are being processed daily, manual anonymisation is prone to error and can be highly time-consuming. 

Automation enhances both security and operational efficiency, allowing healthcare providers to process larger volumes of data quickly and accurately. It is also particularly important for organisations to remain compliant with data protection regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the UK and Europe or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States. 

Automating DICOM & Pixel Data Anonymisation with PRIX 

Data anonymisation is a non-clinical task that requires great attention, taking up significant time and effort from PACS managers who would otherwise be focusing on more critical tasks. Automating this process with an innovative tool not only improves patient safety through data security and accuracy, but it also frees up healthcare professionals to focus on patient care and other high-priority tasks.  

To meet the growing demand for secure, efficient, and error-free anonymisation, Rosenfield Health developed PRIX, a cutting-edge bulk anonymiser designed to automate the anonymisation of both DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) & Pixel data. By integrating this tool into healthcare workflows, PRIX enhances patient safety and boosts operational efficiency, allowing PACS managers and radiologists to concentrate on higher-priority tasks.  

Here’s how PRIX makes a difference: 

1. Time Saving Efficiency: PRIX dramatically reduces the time required for anonymisation tasks. What traditionally takes up to 8 hours can now be accomplished in just 15 minutes. This significant reduction in time allows PACS Managers to allocate their valuable time to more critical activities, enhancing overall productivity and efficiency.  
2. Unmatched Accuracy: By automating the anonymisation process, PRIX eliminates the risk of human error that is common with manual methods. PRIX ensures a higher level of accuracy and reliability, safeguarding sensitive information more effectively.
3. Enhanced Focus: PRIX empowers PACS managers by freeing them from the repetitive and time-consuming task of manual anonymisation. This allows them to concentrate on more strategic and core responsibilities, significantly improving the workflow of radiologists.  

Conclusion 

As we celebrate World Patient Safety Day 2024, it’s clear that patient safety is about more than just clinical care. Protecting patient data is an integral part of safeguarding their well-being. By leveraging the power of automating medical data anonymisation, healthcare providers can enhance both privacy and accuracy, ensuring that patient data remains secure without compromising on efficiency. 

With PRIX, Rosenfield Health is at the forefront of providing automated anonymisation for patient safety, offering a solution that is not only efficient but also reliable and compliant with global standards. This World Patient Safety Day let’s commit to improving patient safety through innovative solutions like PRIX that make healthcare data management safer and more accurate for everyone—while giving radiologists and PACS managers more time to focus on what truly matters: patient care. 

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Thanks to the great efforts and dedication of Rosenfiled Health’s team, we are ISO 27001/2022 certified!

This significant milestone reflects our responsibility towards our success partners to safeguard confidential data and maintain patients’ privacy. Our team has worked tirelessly to meet these international standards and embraced the challenge to demonstrate exceptional reliability and commitment.

Our partners can trust that any sensitive data is in safe hands.

Background 

The East Midlands Radiology Consortium (EMRAD) is a network aiming to deliver expert radiology services across the region. However, the REALM chairs within EMRAD faced overwhelming workloads, making the management of REALM meetings a significant challenge. From anonymising studies to recording learning points and summarising meetings, the process can be time-consuming. 

The Challenge 

REALM meetings are crucial for continuous learning in radiology, allowing professionals to learn from discrepancies and successes. The manual effort required to manage these meetings was substantial, consuming valuable time and resources that could otherwise be directed towards patient care. 

The iCode REALM Solution 

iCode REALM was introduced as a vendor-neutral solution seamlessly integrated into the PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems) environment, designed to facilitate the execution of REALM meetings in accordance with RCR guidelines. 

With iCode REALM, EMRAD experienced a transformation in their workflow: 

1. Streamlined Automated Workflow: The process of managing and running REALM meetings became more straightforward and efficient. 
2. Anonymisation of Cases: Patient and physician data were anonymised, maintaining privacy, and focusing on learning from case content, and facilitating discussions around discrepancies in a blame-free environment. 
3. Time and Resource Efficiency: The automated system reduced the manual effort required, freeing up time for REALM chairs. 
4. Reduced Workload Challenges: REALM chairs could focus more on their primary responsibilities rather than administrative tasks.
5. Powerful Meeting Management Tool: iCode REALM provided a robust platform for scheduling, executing, and reviewing meetings.
6. Analytics and Reporting: The system offered insights into meeting outcomes, helping to enhance quality and processes. 

In conclusion, the implementation of iCode REALM at EMRAD led to a more efficient and effective learning environment, revolutionising radiology practice and raising the bar for patient care and safety. 

To learn more about how iCode REALM can transform your radiology practice, visit iCode REALM.